William kelso



(N0 Model.)

W. KELSO. UNGOUPLING LEVER AND LEVER LOOK FOR'GAR COUPLINGS, No.001,020. Patented Mar. 22,1898.

In nll l llllll UNITED STATES PATENT Fries W' ILLIAM KELSO, OFPITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCGONWAY & TORLEY COMPANY, OFSAME PLACE.

LlNCOUPLING-LEVER'AND LEVER-LOCK "FOR CAR-COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 601,020, dated March22, 1898. l Application filed November 12, 1897. Serial No. 668,326. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM KELso, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny, State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inUncoupling-Levers and Lever-Locks for Oar-Couplings; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a perspective view of the end 7 sill of a car and a vertical or Janney type of car-coupler having applied thereto an unlocking-lever andlever-lock embodying my invention, the parts being in the position theyoccupy when the locking-pin is down. Fig. 2 is a similar view showingthe parts in the po sition they occupy when the locking-pin is raised,as for uncoupling, the unlocking-lever being shown at the extreme of itsmovement, as when there is an excess of slack in the flexible connectionbetween the lever and pin. Fig. 3 is a detached enlarged side elevationof the bracket in which the lockingslot is formed, the locked positionof the lever at several points intermediate of its minimum and maximumtravel being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 4: is an enlarged sideelevation of a portion of the outer end of the unlocking lever or shaft,showing the flat .or cam surface which engages-in the arc-shapedlocking-slot.

' Like symbols refer to like they occur. I

My invention relates to that class of'safety devices generally termedunlocking-levers or release-rigging for car-couplings emparts whereverployed for manipulating the locking-pin or lockingblock of the verticalorJanney type of car-couplings, or, if desired, the pin of the ordinarylink-coupling in coupling and uncoupling cars, having for their objectto enable the operator to manipulate the locking-pin or looking-blockwithout entering between the cars or otherwise exposing himself toinjury in the operation.

coupler under pulling and buffing strains, and as the release-riggin gor unlocking-lever is commonly mounted on or supported from the car-bodyor end sill thereof any devices which are to prove efficient in servicemust be so constructed as to allow for such slack, which willnecessarily vary through a range of several inches, or else theconnections between unlocking-lever and locking-pin,which were properlyadjusted when applied,will become disorganized and inoperative under theabove-noted conditions incident to service.

So far as I am aware mechanism of this character as heretofore devisedand applied has been deficient in two particularsviz., first, by reasonof the limited range of movement of the unlocking-lever, whereby if theconnection between the unlocking-lever be or become fromany cause tooshort either the lever cannot be locked up or will not allow the lockingblock or pinto assume the proper locking position, or if the connectionbetween the lever and locking block or pin be ,too long the lever whenraised to its highest position will fail to sufficiently withdraw thelocking block or pin to effect an uncoupling, and, second, in lack ofprovision for locking the unlocking-lever at any point in its movementwhich may be demanded by the length of connection between the lever andlocking block or pin.

The object of my present invention is, first, to so increase the rangeof movement of the unlocking-lever as to compensate for any excess ofslack in the lever and locking block or pin connections, and, second, toso construct the devices that the unlocking-lever may be locked or heldat any point within its movement that the said connections may require.

To this end my invention, generally stated, embraces the combinationwith an unlocking-lever of an arc-shaped locking-slot preferablyextending downward and outward below the plane of rotation of theunlocking 5 lever (said unlocking-lever providedwith a cam-surface whichengages in the arc-shaped locking-slot, whereby the outer end of the vlever will remain fixed at any point in the arc slot traversed thereby.

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinaftermore fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully,.so that othersskilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the end sill or body of a car, and B thecoupling connected thereto in the usual manner, said coupling having asuitable locking-pin C, which is to be operated by the mechanismhereinafter described.

In the present instance the usual Janney freight-coupling has beenshown, but as the same forms no part of the present invention and isused simply for purposes of illustration it is to be understood that anyform of vertical or J anney type of coupler may be substituted, and theterm locking-pin or locking-block wherever hereinafter used is intendedto include any form of lock adapted to be operated by the mechanismwhich embodies my invention.

Attached to the car-body or end sill A are two brackets for the supportof a shaft or unlocking-lever, the inner of said brackets 2 being of anycharacter which will permit of the rotation and pivotal movement of theinner end of shaft or lever 1, while the outer or lock bracket 3,arranged in line therewith, will have an arc-shaped locking-slot 3,which may be downwardly curved and outwardly extending, the extent ofwhich slot is preferablysuch as to permit the lifting-finger 1 on theinner end of shaft 1 to move through about ninety (90) degrees when theouter end of the shaft is traveling from the inner to the outer end ofsaid slot 3. In addition to said downwardly and outwardly curved slot 3the bracket 3 may be provided with a vertical inner slot 3, with whichthe inner and upper end of slot 3 connects, so that the shaft 1 maybepassed back and forth between the slots in the movements of shaft 1necessary to actuate the locking-pin or locking-block.

The shaft or unlocking-lever has at or adjacent to its inner end aprojecting arm or lifting-finger 1, with which the locking-pin orlocking-block O of the coupling I5 is connected by a chain c or in othersuitable manner, so as to move responsive to the movements of shaft 1,and said shaft is also provided with a flat or cam surface 1 at thepoint of its passage through bracket 3, whereby the outer end of shaft 1may be caused to pass into and lock at any point in the arc-shapedlocking-slot 3 of bracket 3. The outer end of shaft 1 may be providedwith a handle or crank-arm 1 to facilitate the rotation of shaft, 1 inlifting the locking-pin or locking-block and unlocking the coupler.

The upper part of the vertical slot- 3 of bracket 3 or the arc-shapedslot 3 where it unites therewith should be of sufficient width to permitof the passage and rotation therein of shaft or lever 1, while the lowerend of said slot 3 as well as the arc-shaped slot 3, may

and will be of less width than shaft 1 or of such width that the flatportion 1 of shaft 1 or its equivalent may traverse the arc-shaped slotwithout permitting the rotation of shaft 1.

The construction of the devices being substantially such as hereinbeforepointed out, they will operate as follows: Assuming the devices to be inthe position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawingsthat is to say, thelockingpin or locking-block O in the lower or locked position, thelifting-finger 1 horizontally extended, and the outer end of theunlocking lever or shaft 1 resting in the bottom of vertical slot 3theouter end of unlocking-lever 1 is first raised into the upper part ofrecess 3", where it can be rotated, and is then rotated to raise thelifting-finger vertically until the flat or cam surface 1 of shaft 1 canbe entered in the inner end of arc-shaped locking-slot 3. If thisoperation of the lever 1 has been sufficient to take up all the slack inthe connection 0 between lever-finger 1 and the locking-block and todraw the lockingblock out of engagement with the tail-piece of theknuckle of the coupling, the outer end of the lever need be moved nofarther, but owing to the weight thereon and its fiat surface (orequivalent) will be locked in position as soon as entered in arc slot 3,and so remain holding the locking-block out of engagement with thetailpiece of the knuckle; but if owing to excessive slack in theconnection 0 between lifting-finger 1 of shaft 1 and the locking-blockthe locking block or pin has not been moved the required distance theouter end of the unlocking lover or shaft 1 is made to traverse thearc-shaped slot 3 downward and outward, (without rotation,) which willcarry the inner or pivotal end of the shaft or unlocking-lever and thefinger l backward and upward and farther withdraw the locking-pin. Thisis continued until the locking block or pin has been moved the requireddistance, when it will be found that at whatever point the outer end ofunlocking lover or shaft 1 has reached in the arc-shaped slot 3 it will,owing to the form of the slot and the flat or cam surface 1 of thelever, remain locked in said position, the shaft 1 not being capable ofrotation in the are slot.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Iatent, is-

1. In unlocking mechanism for car-couplings, the combination, with anunlocking lever or shaft having its inner end pivotally supported, of asupport for the outer end of said shaft said support having anarc-shaped locking-slot, said unlocking lever provided with acam-surface which engages in the areshaped locking-slot, substantiallyas and for the purposes specified.

2. In unlocking mechanism for car-couplings, the combination with anunlocking shaft or lever, of supports therefor, one of said supportsprovided with a downwardly and outwarly extending arc-shapedlockingslot, said unlocking-lever provided with a cam-surface whichengages in the arc-shaped locking-slot, substantially as and for thepurposes specified. l

3. In unlocking mechanism for car-couplings, the combination with anunlocking le ver or shaft, of supports therefor, one of said supportshaving a vertical lever-slot and an arc-shaped locking-slot leading fromthe vertical slot, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

I. In unlocking mechanism for car-couplings, the combination with anunlocking lever or shaft, of supports therefor, one of said supportshaving vertical lever-slot and a downwardly and outwardly extendinglockin g-slot which connects with the vertical slot,

substantially as and for the purposes speci- 2o fied.

5. In unlocking mechanism for car-couplers, the combination with anunlocking shaft In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presenceof two witnesses, this 11th day of November, 1897.

. WILLIAM KELSO. Witnesses:

LEES ARMBUROEN,

F. D. EOKER.

